Cities of the Future: Ankita of Pratt Institute and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey On How to Create Cities That Are More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable

An Interview With Dina Aletras

Encourage public transit/alternate mode of transport — Lastly, I will stick to the point I already mentioned before, it’s important to encourage sustainable mode of micro mobility and expand access to public transportation that reduces dependency on fossil fuel cars.

As urbanization continues to accelerate, the need for cities to become more productive, efficient, and sustainable has never been greater. Innovative approaches and technologies are essential to address challenges such as resource management, transportation, and quality of life. How can we design and implement strategies to build the cities of the future? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ankita Nalavade.

Ankita Nalavade is an urban sustainability and resilience expert with an architectural background. Nalavade’s experience working in two major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai and New York City, with complex systems and infrastructure has helped her develop a distinct understanding of how cities function as part of the built environment. This unique experience helps her to carve out solutions for the continued growth of cities in the face of climate change. Miss Nalavade is currently working as a Principal Specialist with Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Resilient and Sustainable Engineering Unit.

Thank you for joining us! To start, can you share a bit about your early background and how it influenced who you are today?

I started my career as an Architect in Mumbai, India where I worked on various award-winning projects. While I enjoyed designing and building tangible projects, I wanted to understand the bigger picture of the built environment. My Master’s of Science in Sustainable Environmental Systems from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn helped me zoom out to the urban scale. The systems thinking and interdisciplinary approach of the course helped me look into the holistic picture of the built form from the lens of sustainability. In order to gain first-hand experience, I interned with non-profit organizations in NYC such as the Bronx River Alliance, Gowanus Canal Conservancy and NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, where I was involved in community projects addressing air pollution and water quality concerns. Simultaneously, I collaborated with organizations such as Waterfront Alliance and Hester Street Collaborative that gave me insights into the policy-framework. Empowered with these experiences, I was acutely motivated to work in the public sector, so that I can be part of the impactful decision making across NYC. With a mindset to be at the forefront of impactful changes, in 2019, I started working with NYC’s Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC). For the next three years, I worked on implementing sustainability and resilience measures in capital infrastructure projects at DDC. Next, I went on to work with New York City’s Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC) where I was part of the core committee that developed and authored, Clean and Circular: Design and Construction Guidelines, which are being used in all capital projects at EDC. Currently, I am working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to improve sustainability and resilience of airports, bridges and tunnels that redefine regional connectivity. In addition, I also have the honor to teach a Sustainability Indicator class at my Alma Mater at the Pratt Institute to inspire the leaders of tomorrow. I started my journey in the private sector, moved to the nonprofit sector and found my expertise in the public sector and academia.

What inspired you to pursue a career in this field, and can you share the story behind your decision?

I remember first coming across the term ‘Climate Change’ while watching Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth in high school. Understanding that there is no positive ending to this story made me anxious. As a child, my coping mechanism was to turn blind eye to all the climate change news around me. But the more I decided to walk away from it, the more it inspired me to seek a more sustainable and resilient future. I believe that this experience stayed with me and encouraged me to pivot my career from being an architect to being an expert in urban sustainability and resilience.

I would like to add a little bit more context to my thoughts. First and foremost, cities are much more efficient compared to a low-density suburban sprawl. Having dense urban areas helps us leave space for forests, agriculture, etc. As per UN SDGs, by 2050, 70% of the global population will reside in cities. In my opinion, the real concern is not that the population in cities is increasing, but the fact that we need to optimize our cities to make them much more productive, efficient and sustainable, keeping in mind the impacts of climate change. This is where we need innovation and I am humbled that my career trajectory has brought me here, where I can be part of the solution.

What’s the most intriguing or memorable experience you’ve had since starting your career?

The most memorable experience was to be part of the Clean and Circular: Design and Construction guidelines team at NYC’s Economic Development Corporation. These guidelines will help NYC’s capital projects to reduce embodied carbon by 50% and that in itself is a big deal. I encourage sustainability enthusiasts to read about them here.

As an initial part of the project, we conducted industry wide stakeholder interviews to understand the current landscape of building decarbonization around the globe. Internationally architects, planners and product designers are coming up with innovative solutions such as drones that can scan a building and provide an inventory of material that can be reused and recycled. It was extremely heartwarming to understand how eager people across the globe were to share their ideas and to envision a sustainable ideology. This also helped me connect to a network of enthusiastic professionals around the world who believe in sustainable futures for cities of the 21st century.

As a successful leader in the industry, which three character traits have been key to your success? Can you provide a story or example for each?

I would say be ambitious, be persistent and always be a good team player.

Set ambitious goals and then figure out a way to stay persistent to achieve them. In EDC’s Circular Design and Construction Guidelines we have set goals to reduce 50% of embodied carbon of projects by 2033, in a short span of under 10 years. The ambitious goal is set, now the task is to keep this goal in mind and be persistent in achieving it, while working on every project from now on. I am certain that what we think of as a mammoth goal now, will appear very tiny and achievable in a few years, if we stay persistent with our efforts.

When it comes to cities, it’s never a one person show. You need an army of experts. As NYCEDCs Project Director, I was an integral part of the team that managed construction of a greenway in Manhattan from 53rd to 60th street called the East Midtown Greenway. The project was successfully built and is loved by the community only because of the efforts every team member put in ironing out the smallest detail. This project is not only a part of the greenway that encircles Manhattan, but also enables accessing green space for communities that didn’t have easy access to parks before. It also adds to the biking infrastructure of the city.

What innovative technologies and practices do you believe will be most critical in enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of future cities?

In my opinion, any technology that reduces cities dependency on fossil fuels will be of utmost importance. It’s not enough that we just increased use of electric vehicles. We must attack the root cause of energy generation. Just electrifying the grid is not the solution, we need to be able to create technologies that help us generate the amount of electricity we need, through renewable sources. NYC has already started its journey towards switching to renewable energy generation through solar roof and wind power. At NYCEDC, I was Project Director for the first ground up and revolutionary solar PV project with battery storage. The building is called the Solar One and is currently under construction. It will be a landmark and a model for future NYC buildings. These technologies are evolving at a rapid speed and the cities need to develop policies that keep up with the pace of this rapidly growing green tech to make the most out of it.

How can urban planners and architects design cities that effectively balance economic productivity with environmental sustainability?

I highly recommend everyone interested in urban sustainability to read Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics. I often go back to the theory mentioned in that book. Let’s face the reality, we can’t go back to living like we used to before the industrial revolution. But what we can do is try to stay within the limits of our planetary boundaries and not overuse resources in a short span of time. As per the book, the Doughnut consists of two concentric rings: a social foundation, to ensure that no one is left falling short on life’s essentials, and an ecological ceiling, to ensure that humanity does not collectively overshoot the planetary boundaries that protect Earth’s life-supporting systems. Economic productivity and Environmental Sustainability will go hand in hand if we stay within the planetary boundaries and the role of architects and planner is to create policies that support this.

In what ways can transportation systems be reimagined to improve mobility and reduce the environmental impact in future urban areas?

The answer is a dense network of eco-friendly modern high tech and reliable public transportation. If people have the option of taking a train/bus that saves them time and money, why wouldn’t they opt for it? People chose to drive and get stuck in traffic for hours because they don’t have any other option available. I would highly recommend reading the new PANYNJ redesign of the Midtown Manhattan Bus Terminal here. After strengthening public transportation, our roads should be reimagined and redesigned for pedestrians and bikers, this will ensure sustainable micro mobility.

What role do you see public policies playing in the development of smarter, greener cities, and how can governments incentivize sustainable practices?

In my opinion, for policies, the carrot and stick approach works the best. Incentivize the right approach and create a demand for green practices and on the other hand penalize unsustainable practices. In NYC, Local Law 97 for sustainable buildings will do just that. The local law 97 limits operational greenhouse gas emissions a building can emit. If the operational carbon is above the stipulated limit, then the owner will be penalized. This has led to property owners initiating green retrofits, which in turn has created a new demand for green jobs. This is a great example that policies can help in setting a goal and then lean on the market to find innovative solutions.

How can future cities ensure a high quality of life for all residents while managing rapid urban growth and resource constraints?

I would like to go back to the concept of donut economics. High quality life does not equal natural resource intensiveness. It is imperative that we have to figure out a way to coexist with nature. What are we going to do if there is no water to drink? In my opinion, even today, we talk about opting for renewable options, but no one is talking about reducing the consumption itself. We have to steer away from take-make waste — linear economy and find a way to move towards circular economy which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. One way to work towards this is to use the methodology outlined in the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL). These 4 questions should be discussed for any new project in the city. First two questions are under local aspirations and the last two questions are to account for global responsibilities.

1. How can all people living in this area thrive?
2. How can our place be as generous as nearby nature?
3. How can our place respect health of the whole planet ?and
4. How can our place respect the wellbeing of all people?

What are the “Top 5 Things Cities Need to Make Them More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable”?

1. Increase green cover/vegetation and access to parks.

The value of real estate in cities is generally high, due to which cities tend to devote maximum land to development of housing, infrastructure and roads. But it is very important to dedicate areas for parks, trees, vegetation and permeable areas in the city. Having green spaces has multiple benefits, they support biodiversity, provide shade, help in stormwater management, also help in improving health by purifying air. At NYC DDC, I spearheaded the design and construction of the area-wide green infrastructure projects throughout NYC, that are helping in stormwater management. In May 2023, NYC announced it would invest $3.5B USD in green infrastructure projects. This solution is simple, yet immensely effective. Cities should prioritize protecting existing green spaces from development and ensure that everyone has easy access to parks within 15 mins walking distance. Oslo has a population of 1.2 million with 74% of its area covered by green space across its 175 square miles.

2. Understand the changing climate and build for the future.

Climate change is no longer a future concern. It is already here, and cities need to be designed to withstand and accommodate impacts of climate change. Coastal and riverine cities such as New York City and Mumbai are prone to flooding due to sea level rise. The same water bodies that helped cities develop their ports and start trade routes are now becoming a threat. NYC has already started constructing flood protection under the Big U project(link). At NYC’s Department of Design and Construction, I lead the sustainability and resilience of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project by incorporating use of the Envision guidelines (What LEED is to building projects, Envision is to infrastructure projects. It is a rating system that encourages sustainability and resilience). Many parts of this $1.45B project are currently under construction as we speak.

3. Circular Economy — Consider existing buildings and infrastructure as a material resource and carbon sink

Material sourcing accounts for more than 75% of the greenhouse emissions in building and infrastructure projects. Under these circumstances, cities should highly consider reusing and recycling existing materials and lower their construction demolition waste. The first question we need to ask is do we need to demolish the existing structure and then follow that up with, can we strengthen parts of the existing structure and extend the life span of the project. One of the greatest examples of this is the reconstruction of the Bayonne Bridge by the Port Authority of NY-NJ. Instead of demolishing the bridge originally built in 1931, the authority kept the original steel arch of the bridge, strengthened it and constructed a different level of roads and then deconstructed the old road below it. The raising of the road allowed post-panamic cargo ships to enter the port of New York and New Jersey. We need more such projects in cities.

4. Mixed Development

When it comes to efficient city planning, the book — Life and Death of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs is considered as a bible. Even though the book was published in 1961, what it says stays true even after so many years. It says that the cities need to stay diverse in terms of land use such that a neighborhood is utilized to its maximum potential. Imagine if downtown had as many residential units as offices, these areas would stay active even after work. Cities should use the land they have more efficiently.

5. Encourage public transit/alternate mode of transport — Lastly, I will stick to the point I already mentioned before, it’s important to encourage sustainable mode of micro mobility and expand access to public transportation that reduces dependency on fossil fuel cars.

Do you have a favorite quote that has influenced your life? Can you share a story that illustrates its relevance to you?

This is a famous quote by Nobel Prize Winner and the founder of the Green Belt movement Wangari Maathai — Be a part of the solution, not part of the pollution. It stayed with me the moment I heard it. Rather than continuing with the century old practices that caused pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, take a stand and put efforts to challenge the status quo and push for the right option that will help us live in harmony with our planet.

With your considerable influence, if you could start a movement to make a significant positive impact, what would it be?

If I was to start a movement, it would be making people aware of the environmental cost of the product in addition to the price of the product. In the construction industry, we have started collecting something called the product Environmental Product Declarations also called project EPDs. This is similar to the nutrition label you will find on your food in grocery stories. The only difference is that it provides information on the environmental impact data for specific concrete mix you are planning to use on the project. It provides information on Global warming potential, ozone depletion, Acidification and Eutrophication among other environmental impacts of that product. By comparing EPDs we can quantify and minimize their impact. Imagine if we had this information while deciding if we want to buy a gas fuelled car or electrical car. Awareness is the first step in encouraging city dwellers to make smart decisions.

How can our readers stay updated with your work online?

I always post any work updates or even interesting articles on Linkedin. Please feel free to get in touch with me on Linkedin or feel free to email me on ankita.a.nalavade@gmail.com

Thank you for sharing these fantastic insights. We appreciate your time and wish you continued success.

About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.

Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.